Southeast Fort Wayne has another project coming out of the ground. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Mayor Sharon Tucker joined developer House Investments to break ground on the third phase of Village Premier, a $14 million building with 50 affordable apartments for seniors at 1902 McKinnie Ave.
According to the city's project page, the mixed-use building will be four stories and 48,000 square feet, with about 3,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor along with exercise and laundry facilities. The apartments are meant for older adults earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income.
"Housing is one of my top priorities, and this project helps meet a critical need for more affordable housing for our growing senior population," Tucker said.
What's in the building
Matt Gadus, a principal with House Investments, said the apartments will be open to residents 55 and older, and he put the income range at roughly $20,000 to $57,000, FW Business reported. He said rents will start below $400 a month for studio units.
Beyond the retail space, the building will have an elevator, a coffee bar, a secure package room and a fourth-floor community room with a rooftop balcony, Gadus said. He expects construction to take 12 to 14 months.
"Our mission is to deliver projects that have an immediate impact for the residents and the surrounding community," Gadus said in the city's announcement. "This project will include 50 units of affordable housing for seniors, which will provide them the opportunity to age in place in their neighborhood."
The money comes from several directions. The city says the senior building is made possible through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, READI funding from the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Redevelopment Commission tax increment financing, and federal funding through the city's Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services.
Neither the city nor the local coverage named a general contractor for this phase.
A long road for a 20-acre site
Village Premier sits at the southeast corner of South Anthony Boulevard and McKinnie Avenue, near McMillen Park, in the McKinnie Commons neighborhood. The city's Community Development office bought the property in 2010 and tore down the blighted McMillen Park apartments there in 2011. The Fort Wayne Redevelopment Commission put out a request for proposals in late 2020. House Investments is the master developer.
Since then, the site has filled in phase by phase. Park's Edge, a $40 million development with 208 affordable apartments for families earning 50% to 60% of AMI, was completed in September 2024. The $4.5 million Meridian Health Clinic opened next door last fall. Several single-family homes have been built, out of 12 the city expects on the site. Future phases call for for-rent townhomes and an early learning child care center.
Director of Community Development Jonathan Leist said this phase brings total investment at Village Premier to more than $60 million over the last five years.
"As we celebrate this $60 million investment at Village Premier, I also want to recognize the importance of good planning, community support and public input," Leist said, pointing to the 2020 Southeast Development Strategy as the community's plan for new investment, jobs, infrastructure and housing in southeast Fort Wayne.
Tucker, who represented the area on City Council before becoming mayor, recalled early talks with community leaders about "revitalizing a community that had not seen investment in it for a very, very long time."
Why it matters for Contractors
A four-story, 48,000-square-foot mixed-use building on a 12- to 14-month schedule is a solid job for Fort Wayne-area crews: site and utility work, foundations, structure, roofing, an elevator, full MEP systems and finish work on 50 apartments. The first-floor retail space adds storefront and tenant build-out possibilities down the road. Just as important is what comes after. With townhomes, more single-family houses and a child care center still planned, Village Premier is a multi-year pipeline on the southeast side, backed by a mix of state, regional, local and federal money. No general contractor has been named publicly for the senior building, so subs should reach out to House Investments and watch the city's project page for updates.